So it's FINALLY Super Bowl Sunday for my Los Angeles Rams on this glorious day and I sure hope my guys are hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and keeping it in the Motherland for a good long time. At the same time, there's also a heckuva lot to talk about on the MIAC Women's Hoops front so why waste any time?
1. Augsburg
2. GAC
3. Bethel
4. Hamline
5. Carleton
6. CSB
7. SMU
8. Concordia
9. (tie) Macalester & St. Olaf
10. St. Kate's
11. St. Scholastica
The Auggies continue to hang onto the top spot but what happened down in St. Peter this last Monday night against GAC makes Augsburg's current hold on the top spot a very tenuous one. True, the Auggies did respond with home wins against both SMU and CSB this week but they haven't looked exceptionally great doing it either. This coming week looks a bit more manageable on paper with roadies at both nearby Macalester and up at Concordia but I think it's safe to say that Augsburg is arguably wearing a big target on its back as we edge closer to the MIAC Playoffs......Meanwhile, the Gusties really showed me something this last week, reaching down and laying a beatdown on said Augsburg team on Monday night before applying same treatment to both Concordia and St. Scholastica this last week as well. Because of that, I felt compelled to move them up to the number two spot in my Power Rankings and I think they're deserving of that. But a big one looms for the Gusties in the early evening on Valentine's Day as they come up to the Cities to take on Hamline at venerable Hutton Arena where the Pipers are incredibly tough to beat before hosting CSB on Wednesday night.
Bethel quietly keeps the ship steady as they routinely took care of business this last week as expected and they just may be peaking at the right time. This next week could be tough as they go down to Northfield to take on St. Olaf tomorrow night before closing the regular season against a vastly improved Carleton team. Hamline wound up getting upended down in Northfield this last Wednesday night by said Carleton team and although they hung tough on Senior Day yesterday against St. Kate's, question marks are starting to become more and more apparent with this squad. When they're clicking on all cylinders, they just might be the most explosive team in the conference. But when they start struggling just a little bit, it's a much different story. Now, the Pipers, have that big game against GAC tomorrow night at Hutton and a victory here would go a long way - I think anyway - in determining how far they can go in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs before finishing off the regular season down Snelling Avenue at Macalester on Wednesday night.
So let's talk about this Carleton team that's suddenly turning heads here in the MIAC. This is a squad that's now reeled off six straight wins - including that big win against Hamline this last Wednesday night. Now obviously this isn't the most talented squad that Head Coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen has had in this her second go-around at the helm but that aspect may not matter that much because, well, they're winning right now and they've become very confident in the process. The Knights have a dangerous SMU team coming into West Gymnasium tomorrow night and that big one at Bethel on Wednesday night so this could easily be a very telling week for Carleton. CSB had a win sandwiched by two losses this last week and they may have to settle for a split this week as St. Kate's comes to town tomorrow night before the regular season finale at GAC on Wednesday night......There's arguably been more "downs" than "ups" this season for SMU but the Cardinals had a pretty decent week this last week getting a big road win at St. Olaf last Monday night and then laying a beatdown on Concordia yesterday. They're not the most experienced team out there but when senior Brooklyn Paulson starts terrorizing opponents from three-point land as she did this last week, SMU becomes very problematic and a team to keep your eye on.
I'll have one more round of Power Rankings late this week and then it'll be time to get ready for the MIAC Playoffs. In the meantime, I've got a big game today in case you didn't know. 😉
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